Loom



March 6, 1928. 1,661,339

J. NORTHROP LOOM Filed April 30. 1927 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS NOBTHROP, O1 HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO DIAPER-CORPORATION, F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- LOOK.

T1018 01 MAINE.

Application filed April 30, 1827. Serial No. 187,818.

The present invention relates to an improvement in looms.

Heretofore in weaving cloth with a curved weft, a curved lay has been employed, and the shuttle has been caused to follow a curved path along the curved lay in its movement across the shed. The movement of the shuttle in a curved path across the lay is attended with serious disadvantages by reason of the severe wear which is imposed upon the lay to guide the shuttle, owing to the fact that the latter is compelled to take up an unnatural. path of movement in weaving.

The object of the present invention is to produce a loom construction wherein the lay is straight and transverse the loom, and the shuttle traverses the shed across the lay by movement in a straight line along the lay. The reed, however, is curved to correspond to the curvature desired to be imparted to the weft in the fabric being woven. The invention consists in the improvement in looms hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view (partially in section on the line 11, Fig. 2) of a loom provided with a straight lay and a curved reed; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lay employed in such loom. L

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is described as follows: The lay 1, supported upon the swords 2, is actuated by the pitman 3 in the usual manner. The warps 4 extend from the rear of the loom through the reed 5 and over the top of the lay, and thence to the front of the loom. The shuttle 6 traverses the lay in a straight line from end to end in the re ular o eration of weav ing. In Fig. 1 the ay is s own in its front position, with the reed in contact with the fell beating up the weft last laid in the shed.

The reed 5 is formed on a curve, as shown, which is determined by the curvature desired to be given to the weft in the cloth being woven. The shuttle is su ported on the lay in its flight by means 0 the upper surfaceof the lay and the usual guides, and in addition by the comb 7, which consists of a platelet into the upper bar 8 of the lay, provided with downwardly extended teeth,

path, being supported in the the front surfaces of which are even with the front surface of the lay ca The shuttle makes its traverse across the 1 in the usual art of its flight where the reed is recessed y the teeth of the comb 7 At each end of the lay the grids 9 are provided for use with the weft detectors.

It will be observed that the teeth of the comb 7 extend downward from the la cap 8 toward, but not to, the raceway of t e lay, so when the shuttle has traversed the lay the weft left behind is free to pass under the ends of the comb and be struck by the reed as it advances to beat the weft into the fell. On the backward movement of the lay, when the shed is formed, the teeth of the comb w ll penetrate the upper sheet of the shed w thout distortion thereof aside from the slight lateral crowding of the few threads which these teeth will engage.

In operation the lay beats back and forth, and the shuttle traverses the lay in the usual straight path, but the reed, being curved, heats up the weft laid in the shed by the shuttle so that it occupies a curve, as illustrated in the drawing. The product is a fabric with straight warps and curved wefts, fuitable for use in the manufacture of colars.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A loom having, in combination, a lay having a straight shuttle raceway and a curved reed su ported on the lay to beat the weft laid b t e shuttle in the shed into a curved fell rom selvage to selvage, and a series of shuttle guiding teeth arranged in straight alinement in front of the curved reed to engage the back wall of the shuttle and guide it in a straight path and from contact with the curved reed.

2. A loom having, in combination, a lay provided with means for supporting the shuttle in its flight from end to end of the lay, having a curved reed for beating up the weft into the cloth being woven on a curved line, and a series of downwardly extending fingers arranged in straight alinement in front of the curved reed to engage the back wall of the shuttle as it passes through the shed to guide the shuttle in a straight path through the shed and from for the shuttle in front of the reed consisteontact with the curved reed. ing of a series of teeth extended down from 3. A loom having, in combination, a lay above the shuttle path toward but not to the provided with a curved reed, and shuttle upper surface of the lay to permit the weft 6 race, and shuttle guiding means in front of thread laid in the shed to pass under the 16 the curved reed to engage the back wall of teeth as it is beaten to the fell of the cloth the shuttle as it travels along the race and by the curved reed. direct it in a straight path through the shed. In testimony whereof I have signed my 4. A loom having, 1n combination, a lay name to this specification. 10 provided with a curved reed, and a support JONAS N ORTHROP. 

